Lessons from ‘Ozzie, Harriet’

Despite the fact that it is one of the most important elements of anyone’s life, sometimes I think God made a mistake by granting humans free will. Had He not, we’d have more parents raising children like Ozzie and Harriet.

For the past few months — and in addition to the difficulties that have surrounded my family and me — I’ve been somewhat mesmerized by — and addicted to — watching a mother and father birth and raise their two children.

Thanks to a camera mounted above the incredibly large nest they’ve constructed high in a North Fort Myers, Fla., pine tree, I’ve been able to watch the pair of bald eagles raise their family (http://dickpritchettrealestate.com/eagle-feed.html).

Dubbed “Ozzie and Harriet,” the pair has become an Internet sensation, drawing hundreds of thousands of documented followers from more than 100 countries.

Renee and I started watching them in late December and are completely amazed at what loving, devoted parents they are.

Through raging windstorms, rainstorms or the everyday beautiful tropical Florida weather, the eagles followed their life’s order. Harriet faithfully tended the two large eggs she had laid, constantly tightened her nest with her beak and rarely left the eggs unattended. Ozzie faithfully caught and brought her food, mostly consisting of fish.

In early January, we noticed a hole in one of the eggs and were anxious knowing “David” would soon emerge.

Harriet waited patiently as the hole enlarged until David poked his head out and eventually broke out of his incubation chamber.

I thought of how easily it would have been for this majestic mother to have quickly broken the egg apart to help her new child enter into their world. Instead, she waited and let the eaglet break itself out of the egg because she knew the baby would need the strength it would get by doing so itself.

And, to me, that concept is one of the great problems of our world, especially with America’s baby boomers who lived through the seemingly unending years of prosperity.

I can’t tell you how many times I heard, “I want my kids to have it better than me,” during that era. And, as a result, most of those kids “had their eggs opened for them” and then wondered why their worlds fell apart later down the line.

Adults give today’s kids all the latest gadgets or fashions but never take time to teach moral, ethical or parental skills.

I thought of this newspaper’s recent heartbreaking story of the month-old baby in critical condition with severe brain injuries, broken ribs and two broken arms. One month on the planet and already with these life-threatening injuries!

Check the Humane Society of Monroe County’s Web site to see all the hoops one must jump through just to be able to adopt a dog or cat. And yet, anyone can have a human child with no training or qualification.

And as I sit here watching the love and nurturing two now half-grown eaglets constantly receive from parents with no free will, I feel sad for this helpless child’s tragedy.

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